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The beauty of plum blossoms
By Xu Wenwen |
February 20, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE annual Plum Blossom Festival at Chao Mountain in Yuhang, Hangzhou, started over the weekend at the Plum Blossom Scenic Area.
More than 50,000 plum trees will be sprouting buds and blossoms in the newly awarded 4A national scenic area.
It's the best season to appreciate the sweet-smelling blossoms, which turn the landscape into a "fragrant white ocean."
Currently, around one third of more than 50,000 trees, mostly baimei (with white flowers) and lamei (with yellow flowers), are in full blossom. The pink one and deep-red ones will open when the temperature rises.
This year, the festival will last a month, and a bunch of cultural venues at Chao Mountain were unveiled at the opening ceremony. A series of cultural and sports activities will also take place during the festival.
Plum trees typically blossom in January or February, and plum blossoms that unfold even in the snow are harbingers of spring.
The charm of the trees is not only the blossoms, each are 1 to 3 centimeters in diameter, but also in the gnarled trunks and bold shape of the branches, typical subjects of Chinese paintings.
Chao Mountain in northeast Hangzhou is one of the three traditional places to appreciate plum blossoms in Jiangnan (region in the southern area of the lower reaches of Yangtze River).
The plum trees on Chao Mountain are famous for their striking shapes, and the mountain is home to two of the five precious species of plum trees in ancient China: Tangmei planted in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and Songmei planted in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Chao Mountain's plum blossoms are distinctive: Each flower has six petals, while most plum blossoms elsewhere have five petals.
Plum blossoms are beloved both as a symbol of winter and a harbinger of spring, as the blossoms bloom vigorously in the snow, while most other plants are bare and before many other blossoms appear.
The blossoms are also a symbol of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity and have been used as a metaphor for revolutionary struggle.
Since 2008, the local government has invested over 1.3 billion yuan (US$206 million) into the scenic area for restoring old constructions, building roads and growing more plum trees.
On Saturday, Meiyun Cave, which has a history of thousands of years, was open to the public. It contains 30-plus stone engravings, a Taoist abbey, a villa and a library, all ancient works that have been restored.
Beside the cave, the just completed Chao Mountain Cultural and Creative Park will be a base for cultural and creative enterprises. The park includes a wooden house built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) that was recently restored.
Also, there are several exhibitions, including one on paintings of plum blossoms, another on seals and an exhibit of paintings by Wu Changshuo and his descendants. Wu is a deceased artist known for his paintings of the plum blossoms on Chao Mountain.
A store that exclusively produces and sells porcelain featuring plum blossoms is to open as well.
A new entertainment park on the mountain will also welcome tourists. The park features a venue for extended exercise training and mountain biking.
People are suggested to visit the nearby tourist destination Tangqi Town, an ancient town that prospered in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties as it was along the Grand Canal.
On the north bank of the central river of the town, the houses, stone lanes and docks were all preserved as they were thousands of years ago. There are also shops selling local snacks and souvenirs.
More than 50,000 plum trees will be sprouting buds and blossoms in the newly awarded 4A national scenic area.
It's the best season to appreciate the sweet-smelling blossoms, which turn the landscape into a "fragrant white ocean."
Currently, around one third of more than 50,000 trees, mostly baimei (with white flowers) and lamei (with yellow flowers), are in full blossom. The pink one and deep-red ones will open when the temperature rises.
This year, the festival will last a month, and a bunch of cultural venues at Chao Mountain were unveiled at the opening ceremony. A series of cultural and sports activities will also take place during the festival.
Plum trees typically blossom in January or February, and plum blossoms that unfold even in the snow are harbingers of spring.
The charm of the trees is not only the blossoms, each are 1 to 3 centimeters in diameter, but also in the gnarled trunks and bold shape of the branches, typical subjects of Chinese paintings.
Chao Mountain in northeast Hangzhou is one of the three traditional places to appreciate plum blossoms in Jiangnan (region in the southern area of the lower reaches of Yangtze River).
The plum trees on Chao Mountain are famous for their striking shapes, and the mountain is home to two of the five precious species of plum trees in ancient China: Tangmei planted in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and Songmei planted in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
Chao Mountain's plum blossoms are distinctive: Each flower has six petals, while most plum blossoms elsewhere have five petals.
Plum blossoms are beloved both as a symbol of winter and a harbinger of spring, as the blossoms bloom vigorously in the snow, while most other plants are bare and before many other blossoms appear.
The blossoms are also a symbol of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity and have been used as a metaphor for revolutionary struggle.
Since 2008, the local government has invested over 1.3 billion yuan (US$206 million) into the scenic area for restoring old constructions, building roads and growing more plum trees.
On Saturday, Meiyun Cave, which has a history of thousands of years, was open to the public. It contains 30-plus stone engravings, a Taoist abbey, a villa and a library, all ancient works that have been restored.
Beside the cave, the just completed Chao Mountain Cultural and Creative Park will be a base for cultural and creative enterprises. The park includes a wooden house built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) that was recently restored.
Also, there are several exhibitions, including one on paintings of plum blossoms, another on seals and an exhibit of paintings by Wu Changshuo and his descendants. Wu is a deceased artist known for his paintings of the plum blossoms on Chao Mountain.
A store that exclusively produces and sells porcelain featuring plum blossoms is to open as well.
A new entertainment park on the mountain will also welcome tourists. The park features a venue for extended exercise training and mountain biking.
People are suggested to visit the nearby tourist destination Tangqi Town, an ancient town that prospered in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties as it was along the Grand Canal.
On the north bank of the central river of the town, the houses, stone lanes and docks were all preserved as they were thousands of years ago. There are also shops selling local snacks and souvenirs.
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